Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to Investigate Europe's report entitled Payment firms handled millions for companies linked to unlicensed gambling network, published on 9 July 2026, whether the payments association is part of the illegal gambling task force.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
We are committed to taking action on the illegal gambling market. Since its launch in January this year, the Illegal Gambling Taskforce has worked with payment providers and other relevant stakeholders to consider the best way to tackle the issue of payments relating to illegal gambling.
We plan to report on the progress made by the Illegal Gambling Taskforce once it has completed its first year, and will consider whether to set out membership of the Taskforce at that point.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the Reform Party holding discussions with the Gambling Commission on Crypto Gambling.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Gambling Commission, as the independent regulator for gambling, has responsibility for making decisions around licensing. The Gambling Commission has not been approached or held any discussion with the Reform Party on crypto gambling.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Gambling Commission is taking to prevent UK licensed gambling software companies providing games to illegal gambling sites.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Gambling Commission, as the independent regulator for gambling, has responsibility for making decisions around licensing.
As part of its regulatory approach, the Gambling Commission assesses applicants against the statutory licensing objectives and may take compliance and enforcement action where it identifies evidence of breaches of licence conditions or other regulatory requirements. This includes where operators or gambling software licensees are found to be supplying the illegal gambling market.
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish a list of organisations that have lobbied the Gambling Commission or her Department on the subject of crypto gambling.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
As the Gambling Commission is an independent regulatory body, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not hold records of which organisations have lobbied the Commission on any particular topic.
Transparency data for ministerial meetings will be published quarterly in due course.